Loose-leaf binder.



` Patented oct. 10,1911.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STAWENT oEFro-EQ] EDWARD H. ELDER, vor' cHIcorEE FALLS. MAsSAcHsETTs, ASSIGNOIS To NATIONAL BLANK BooK COMPANY, or HoLYox-E, MASSACHUSETTS, A cox.-

PORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

I .oosE-LEAL` BNDER.

Application'iiled December 20, i910. Serial No. 598,396.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders and particularly to the construction of a binder for small books, such as notebooks and the like, the invention being fully set forth in the following specification4 and clearly illustrated in the accompanylng drawings, in which,

Figure l is a perspective view of a book cover, open fiat, showing on one side certain i of the constituent members thereof in separated relation and showing the manner of applying the sheet-retaining element to said cover. Fig. 2 is a, crosssectional view of the binder in its Icompleted form, the plane ofl the section being about on line 2-2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan vieW of the metal blank from which the sheet-retaining v element of the binder is constructed. Fig. 4 is an isometric view4 of the sheet-'retaining element as made from the blank shown in Fig. 3, this view being on a somewhat enlarged scale. Fig. 5 shows a portion of a sheet of paperhaving properly spaced holes punched vthereinv to adapt the sheet. to be fitted onto, and ree tained by, the sheet-retaining element of the binder. y

As heretofore generally constructed, in books of this class, the sheet-retaining element of the binder has been made of metal and has comprised a back'portion having rings or loops thereon to receive thev sheets, which back portion has been secured to the inner surface of the cover by means of va-l rious fastening devices.

By means of the present invention, this sheet-retaining element of the binder, instead of bein secured by some mechanical fastening devlcev to the binder cover, is built into the cover structurel in the process of.

, manufacture of the latter, whereby -a muchl more cheaply constructed binder maybe made and one also which has a far neater D appearance and which is also very much stronger and permits the folding back and forth of the lcover along/the vhinge linewith as when this element is mechanically fas.- tened'to it; or, `as when the cover is creased at the hinge-line to permit the attachment of said element thereto. f

Referring to the drawing, the Sheetreceiving element of the/ binder is shown, as

stated, in its complete form in Fig. 4, and it consists in a strip of metal` L having suitably spaced rings or loops b thereon. Preferably, this sheet-retaining element is made from the blank shown in Fig. 3 in which the same letters of reference havebeen ap 4lied to the back a an'd to the parts which,'w en bent up into circular form, constitute the ring or loops b. This part of the structure is made from a one-piece blank in the manner de*h scribed solely asa matter of convenience and economy, as it might just as well be madev of separate pieces, that is to say with a back a 1n one piece and with the loops or rings b soldered or otherwise rigidly attached thereto.

Itwill be observed that as made from the blank it would be Vundesirable to have the ends c of the rings b all fall in the same line longitudinally of the structure, for the reapunched out, the parts thereof from which 4the rings b areformed, are'made with alternat-ing long and short members on the same side of the back a to the end that when Vformed into the-,rings b, as shown in Fig. 4, the meetin ends c of the different rings on the back will not all'fall intl'ie same plane;

that is to say, theseopen spaces between the ends will lbesta gered. v Y

In `applying t e `sheet-retaining element to the covers d and cv of a book, as shown-.in

Fig. 1, the lining f of the cover'isperforated,

as shown-at g, insuc-h way that it may be and the sheet-retaining device then being properly positionedion the exterior member of the cover, as Shown in Fig. v1, whereupon the borders of the linin and cover are folded one over the other'a er lue has been applied to the contiguous sur aces` thereof,

vpassed ovr the rings b by slipping these rings through said perforatiomsaid lining f whereby the adhesion of the lining and the outer cover gortion may permanently/position the s eet-receiving element in its proper place relative to the folding line k of the cover. Sheets of paper to be applied to the rings bgare perforated ,along one edge thereof, as indicated by k, Fig. 5, the sheet Jbeing indicated by m, there being 'a slit o extending from each perforation through the border of the sheet.

In a binder made as described herein, onl the metal rings b are visible when the boo is open, and the sheet-retaining device, instead of being applied to the' cover with a mechanical device of some kind and by a separate operation, is bound into the covers during the manufacture of the latter, and requires no more time than is necessary to l v from4 the side e simply put it in position. It thus makes a very neat book in appearance and one; in whlch the cost of manufacture is quite materially reduced.

What I claim,`is: v A leaf-retaining device, for loose leaf binders, consisting of a single blank of sheet material cut to provide `a straight strip forming aback piece, and a plurality of alternately lon and short arms projected ges of said strip and struck up into split-ring form, with the. slits or .openings vfor the various rings arranged in staggered order.

EDWARD H. ELDER. Witnesses:

WM. H. 01mm, HARRY W. BOWEN. 

